


A Pinch of Ash

by Skarias



Series: Andraste's Grace [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mahariel is a dork, Romance, but she's Leliana's dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-15 17:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16068101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarias/pseuds/Skarias
Summary: Leliana and Sarah head out towards Valence once the Nightingale receives a mysterious letter from the dead Divine, neither of them could have been prepared for what they would find on their travels.





	1. Letters from the Dead

 

The black knight abandoned his position and lunged forward, striking as swift as he did deadly while the scorching sun stood at it's zenith high above them. His all but silent assault made quick work of the poor mage that had been unfortunate enough to be in his way, leaving his fallen form to crumble towards the ground. While the attack had been incredible reckless, their strategy seemed to bear fruit as more and more of the enemy forces met the mage's fate by the hand of his comrades. Victory would soon be upon them.

"Check. Your move, your highness." the elf teased from the other end of the chess board, her knight taking Alistair's mage and leaving his King with very few options to escape his inevitable demise.

The king of Ferelden let out an exasperated groan as he regarded the pieces before him, Sarah's pieces outnumbered his own two to one and she had somehow managed to not only completely derail his own attack but also cut through his defense with merciless precision. "This used to be way more fun back when you barely knew how to move your own pieces." Alistair laughed, moving his king out of reach of his opponent's pieces. "Your turn, Warden-Commander." he drew the word out, knowing fully well that his fellow warden hated to be reduced to her title even more than he despised to be adressed as nobility.

"You know, I was planning to go easy on you, your majesty." her mage made quick work of his last knight and cornered his king once again, "But now, now you're going down. Check."

"It's good to know you haven't changed a bit in the last years." he smiled, trying to come up with some way to turn the tide of the battle, "I take it you had an excellent teacher in the fine arts of board games during the last few weeks?"

"Leli still annihilates me in less than seven turns," the warden chuckled as she moved another piece, "it took some getting used to all this, looks like years on the road do that to a person, but living here with Leliana has been wonderful." her eyes flickered mischiefously, "Speaking of wonderful, you didn't manage to scare away your queen just yet, did you?"

"Elissa is doing fine, thank you very much." Alistair huffed. Sarah had been close enough to Denerim to allow herself the small detour to attend her friends wedding to a noblewoman named Cousland he had met fighting Darkspawn of all things after she had been attacked. Zevran would've come up with a witty remark about Alistair falling for the one Ferelden woman with royal blood that could knock him on his ass. She wondered how the elf was doing these days, she had tried to get word out to him but hadn't heard anything from the assassin. It likely meant that he did a good job at whatever he was doing, but it still left the warden worried for her friend.

Sarah's fingertips had barely grazed her own queen when the sound of rapid footsteps made the elf quip up her head and scan the surrounding gardens. The summer in Skyhold was undeniably beautiful, even amidst the frigid mountaintops of the Frostbacks the fortress' gardens bloomed with radiant, colourful life. Amidst the greens, reds and yellows, however, stood a man whose expression and stance didn't fit the easy atmoshpere that had settled between the two wardens.

"Lady Mahariel," the runner acknowledged her breathlessly, it took him another moment to recognize the man across the table and he visible stiffened at the realization. "Your highness." the man quickly added, bowing slightly before turning his attention back to the Warden-Commander. Alistair let out another groan, Sarah held back her laughter. "Sister Leliana has asked for you to meet her as soon as possible."

"Thank you, I will see to it momentarily." she assured the runner before nodding him off, the man quickly vanished behind the high walls surrounding them, slipping through nearest doorway and already on his way towards his next destination.

"That look on your face is usually reserved for darkspawn and bad drinks, what's wrong?" Alistair asked.

The elf's lips twitched slightly upwards but the worried expression never left her face, "Leli was supposed to be in the war room with the other advisors and Trevelyan for at least another hour, I fear something is wrong."

"Well then, off you go. I need to look for Grand Enchanter Fiona anyway, she had asked to see me the second I arrived at Skyhold yesterday." he wasn't sure she had heard everything he said, the other warden already rushing across the courtyard towards the Nightingale's tower.

Turning around she shot him a lopsided grin, "Queen takes pawn at E4, Checkmate."

"Remember me why I put up with you again?" he yelled after her, shaking his head and trying to get the smile off his face.

She had grown accustomed to Skyhold's interior design surprisingly fast, having memorized the various shortcuts and other ways to save a few seconds here and there while traversing through the fortress. Talking to the ambassador had helped quiet a bit, that woman seemed to know the exact location of every crook and turn inside Skyhold. The warden and Josephine had become fast friends in the past weeks, even if she had to remind the Antivan that she really didn‘t have to call her by her title every time she adressed the elf.

Sarah made an effort not to crash into any nobles or Inquisition soldiers as she darted across the battlements. Two staircases and an almost running over two of Cullen's men, the warden opened the door that led inside the loft she shared with her girlfriend. The creaking sound of wood against the floor made the Nightingale look up from whatever she was reading, her eyes quickly finding those of the warden as she put on her best impression of a smile. Sarah learned long ago to see right through any of Leliana's acts that could fool most other people. She dropped her performance a second later, sinking into her chair and letting the letter in her hands drop onto the desk.

"This is the part where I ask you if you want to talk about it." the elf hummed, having made her way behind the spymaster and wrapping her arms around the other woman.

Leliana didn't respond at first, her gaze lost between the paragraphs, the only indication the Nightingale was even aware of her presence being the light pressure that reminded Sarah that she was leaning into her ever so slightly. Wordlessly she handed the warden the envelope, gesturing her to read it.

"When did you get this?" the warden asked, having to read the name at the bottom multiple times before trusting her own eyes.

"Just now," the Nightingale replied, "Trevelyan postponed today's meeting after the messenger burst into the war room under instructions to deliver this letter in person and without delay."

Sarah's brow furrowed as she went through the contents of the letter, even if she didn't recognize the Divine's handwriting, Justinia's seal at the bottom made any doubt in her mind fade away. She should've known that such a major player of the game would have preparations in place in case of her early demise.

"I'll have two horses prepared in the morning, we should make good time if we push through the day towards Valence." the elf declared, hoping she could ease some of the burdens resting on Leliana's shoulders.

"I was going to ask if you're joining me, but I should've known my warden wouldn't let me leave without her." the bard smiled, leaning upwards and planting a soft kiss on the elf's lips

"Riding through the wilderness, sleeping under the stars. Throw some darkspawn and a dragon in our way and it'll be just like old times.“ the warden mused, her gaze wandering over the desk and coming to an abrupt halt once she spotted the Nightingale‘s locket lying open. Carefully lifting it‘s content out of it‘s case she studied the blossom „I still can‘t believe you kept it all this time.“

„I kept it close to my heart ever since that night, it always reminded me of you whenever we were apart,“ Leliana said, covering the warden‘s hand with her own, „You knew I wanted to kiss you that night, did you not?“ she laughed. A high pitch sound, some might even call it girly, so unlike what the world knew of the Nightingale, escaped her lips and the elf would never get over how much she had missed hearing it.

„You- what?“ she stammered, „Why didn‘t you ever tell me that?“

The bard gave her hand another squeeze before she spoke again , „I wasn‘t sure if you wanted the same, we didn‘t have the best start to say the least. That night at the fire I didn‘t know if you just wanted to be nice or...“ Leliana trailed off, shaking her head before she lost herself in the memory, „What I wanted to say was, you were the first person since my childhood or the other sisters in the cloister that had ever given me something without a hidden meaning behind it, a price that would have to be paid one day or another. In Orlais nothing was ever free or without invisible strings attached to it.“

The warden smiled as she leaned down to kiss the top Leliana‘s head, a pleasent reminder of the fact that she had abandoned the hood she had worn everywhere she went not too long ago. „I wish you would‘ve said something back then, it could have saved us from a lot of unnecessary dancing around.“

„Oh? And here I thought you elves loved to dance.“ the redhead quipped.

„I never was one for frollicking beneath the moonlight,“ the warden chuckled while pulling the bard upwards out of her chair to face her, they stood close enough that their noses almost touched. „And I only ever danced with one woman.“

„Really? And who might be that lucky girl?“

„You wouldn‘t know her.“ Sarah smiled, taking a step backwards, „I‘ve met her a long time ago. She was what kept me going through the dark times of the blight, a ray of hope in the darkness before us. Instead of running from the looming threat of destruction and her own dark past she faced them head on. Always compassionate and terrifyingly ingenious at times as well as incredibly beautiful. “

The bard‘s breath hitched, her instincts wanting to do nothing but to close the distance between them, she barely managed to restrain herself, „She sounds to good to be true.“

The warden grinned as she extended her right hand, „Oh she is, but I‘ve learned that sometimes even dreams can come true.“ she waited for Leliana to take her hand before continuing, „May I have this dance, my lady?“

„I thought you didn‘t dance?“ the spymaster asked, taking a step closer towards her partner.

„I believe I can make an exception for you.“ the warden replied, pulling the woman closer, taking Leliana‘s other hand in her own and leading as their steps echoed in the chamber. They didn‘t have any music, but that hadn‘t stopped them the countless times before on the road and it certainly wouldn‘t today. Leliana began to hum a quiet tone under her voice once they shifted seamlessly into the next dance, slow movements she knew by the heart and their bodies closely pressed together. The struggle to guide their movements was one the warden was only too eager to lose, letting the Nightingale lead her across the wooden floor that creaked beneath their feet. Leaning closer she closed her eyes and rested her head on the other woman‘s shoulder.

Tomorrow they would head out and face whatever it was the Divine had planned for her Left Hand. But today they would take as much advantage of the peace and quiet inside the fortress‘ walls as they could.


	2. Snakes in Valence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their encounter in Valence,the pair makes their way back towards Skyhold only to find even more trouble on the road.

 

The sound of two pairs of heavy boots against the polished, ivory floor beneath them echoed through the otherwise seemingly abandoned Chantry of Valence, the great doors closing behind them and shutting out any light the sun of the early morning would have offered. Bright torches and and fire pits scattered along the walls illuminated the rooms with their absurdly high ceilings in bright, warm colours.

„It‘s just the way I remembered it.“ the bard mused, images of herself and the warden flashing through her mind, ten years younger and ten years of burdens lifted from their shoulders, walking through these halls for the very first time hand in hand.

„I believe this was the first Chantry I voluntarily walked into after the blight.“ the warden laughed, „The Revered Mother had been so different from everything the Dalish ever tought us about the Chantry and those who chose to follow the Maker. I still wonder what she thought of me, of us, after we met her here. That woman was completely unreadable.“

„She had be, being such a distinguished player of the game one quickly learns to cover their emotions wherever they are. It‘s a weakness others could easily exploit, after all. It is one of the things I will never miss about the time I spent in Orlais.“

„You came here often after the blight, right? Before Dorothea was elected to be the next Divine?“ Sarah asked as they entered a large rotunda, a great statue that reached even higher than the windows of stained glass that clustered the walls standing tall in it‘s center.

„I did. Dorothea became somewhat of a mentor to me after you had to leave on your own quest to find a cure to your calling, she helped guiding me in my faith until she called Cassandra and I to her side once she ascended to the Sunburst Throne.“ Leliana said, „And you shouldn‘t worry, she was rather fond of you for someone she only met once.“ she added, flashing a quick smile that vanished the second she heard another pair of footsteps echo down the hallway.

„Expecting company?“ the warden quipped.

„No, no I don‘t.“

The woman dressed in Chantry robes appeared in one of the corridors leading into the rotunda and quickly came closer, something in her movement shifting once she recognized the Nightingale that she hastily tried to cover with a smile. „Leliana! Leliana is that you? It‘s been too long.“

„Sister Natalie, it is so good to see you.“ Leliana replied, embracing the woman. Once her face was hidden she silently mouthed something the warden wouldn‘t like to repeat out loud in the Sister‘s company. This would be interesting. "What are you doing here? I thought you still served the Chantry in Val Royaoux."

"I traveled to Valence when our beloved Divine passed on and joined the Maker's side. Sometimes these walls make me feel like she is still with the rest of us." Natalie said, averting her gaze from the Nightingale and curiously watching the elf, "And who might this be?" she asked, if she tried to hide the venom in her voice she failed at it miserably. The warden wondered what she disliked the most, her ears being too pointy or the blood writing on her face that didn‘t quiet fit into her little world.

"A friend." Sarah replied flatly, not turning around to face the Sister as she spoke, inspecting the walls for any signs of a hidden room, a small lever or button that would reveal the secret they were after.

The two woman continued their idle chatter, Leliana not letting the comment about her warden tip her off balance, or if it did she concealed it masterfully. To anyone else it appeared to be just another normal conversation, two old friends that haven't seen each other in a few years catching up and reminiscing about old times. Sarah knew it was everything but that, Lelian did very few things without purpose after all and this was no exception.

The warden knew the shifts in the Nightingale‘s tone by heart, the way she would alter her questions to dig for the information she was looking for without ever giving away her true intent. She didn't know what the spymaster was planning to uncover, but eventually she would find whatever she was after.

It didn't take long for someone as experienced with traps and locks like Leliana to find the hidden mechanisms that unlocked then secret room that led outside the rotunda. Natalie, however, never got a chance to get a good look inside as a firm hand on her shoulder held her in place.

"Leave now, Natalie. Report back to your mistress before you do something you might come to regret later." the Nightingale threatened, dodging easily as the other Sister pulled a dagger from below her robes and swung it at the spymaster.

 "The Inquisiton and it's blasphemous _Herald of Andraste_  have led it's followers away from the Maker's light, Leliana. At least I still serve the true Chantry." she hissed, the sound of steel clashing against steel filling the room as her blade collided with that of the warden. She never stood a chance against the skilled warrior.

"You really should have listened to her warning." the elf growled, making Natalie lose her balance and twisting the Sister's arm until she dropped her weapon to the floor. Pushing her forwards she tripped and fell to the cold ground beneath them, scrambling to get back on her feet she made for the exit and fled the Chantry without looking back again.

„What is it with Chantries and people trying to kill us?“ Sarah sighed as they entered the rectangular room. A lone, golden table with an equally colored box resting on top of it the only things inside.

„Haven hardly counts, they worshipped a dragon, remember?“ Leliana replied as she inspected the dimly lit room and lifted the shimmering box off the table, „Besides, Natalie looked like she never even held that dagger before, much less having ever used it.“

It was past midday when the warden and Leliana returned to their horses at one of Valence‘s stables, the pair having used the last few hours to walk along the village‘s outskirts and talk about Justinia‘s will. The Nightingale would have to learn to leave her past as the Left Hand behind herself, she didn‘t need to carry anyones conscience but her own anymore. She no longer was the same person she had been in her last years under Justinia, and she never wanted to become like her again.

„Ready to head home?“ the elf asked as they entered the stables, when they arrived earlier one of the stable hands had immediately recognized Leliana from her time in Valence and it seemed like he had taken good care of their horses during their stay.

„Yes.“ Leliana smiled, the word ‚home‘ echoing in her mind as she climbed onto her mare, „Thank you for coming with me, I dont know if Natalie would‘ve ever left that Chantry if she met the woman I had been just a few months ago.“ Giving Leliana‘s hand a reassuring squeeze the warden turned around and mounted her own horse. Soon after the pair rode out towards Skyhold, leaving Valence and it‘s Chantry far behind them in the distance.

The ride over the uneven country roads was spent in comfortable silence, the small piece of jewelry safely tucked away inside one of her pockets an ever present reminder of what she had sworn herself to do before they would arrive back in the Frostbacks. The clattering of hooves came to a stillstand once they arrived at a small clearing, wanting to give their horses a momemt of respite before making their way towards the next settlement they dismounted near a small stream and sat close by below a small group of trees that offered protection from the sun.

One hand vanishing in her pocket the warden tried to get Leliana‘s attenion, „Leli? Before we return to Skyhold, there was something I wanted to ask you.“ she hoped the nervousness wasn‘t too audible in her voice but she knew the Nightingale well enough to know that she would pick up on it.

Looking the bard in the eyes a silent wave of confidence rushed over her as she lost herself in the familiar blue depths of her partner and took a deep breath. The warden was about to continue when a sudden, striking pain flared up inside her skull and made her drop to the overgrown ground beneath them, Leliana trying to keep her steady while the elf did her best not to cry out in pain.

„Love? What‘s wrong?“ the concern in the spymaster‘s voice nearly broke her heart but she couldn‘t answer, instead she tried to focus on the pain and nothing else.

It didn‘t feel like anything she had experienced before, no poison, stab or cut coming even close to the almost paralyzing sensation that rapidly spread across her temple like an insatiable storm of fire. But there was something else, a part that called out to her and begged her to remember, to understand what it tried to tell her.

And understand she did, it her hit all at once like a strike in the face. It never had been this intense, never this painful and never had it affected her in such a way, but she knew exactly what she felt.

They were somewhere nearby, the creatures she never wanted to see again after everything they took from the world and herself. Fighting through the pain she freed herself of Leliana‘s steading grip and put a hand on the bard's shoulder, looking up the warden mustered all her strenght and spoke, „Darkspawn.“


	3. A Gift of Crows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting off the darkspawn, Leliana and the Warden find something they didn't expect

 

Darkspawn.

The warden gripped the reins of her mare ever tighter, her knuckles having long turned white while their horses broke into a gallop, racing down the uneven pathway, dirt and stones flying around them as the sound of hooves against the hard ground filled the air. The blood in Sarah‘s veins was pumping harder and harder the closer they got to the distant group darkspawn, the almost unfamiliar sensation pressing against her skull ever harder and threatening to split it in half every passing second. 

Sarah tried out, or maybe she didn‘t, she couldn‘t tell as they closed in on the hellish creatures, the pain inside her head pushing away everything but her instincts. Soon a demolished caraven came into view, or what was left of it. The corpses of two dead horses lay splattered on the ground, the wagons had been knocked over and were partly ripped open by their attackers. A group of darkspawn circled the one that looked the least damaged. If there were people still alive in there she would get them out of here unharmed, she had to. It was her duty.

The first arrow flew past her while they were both still on horseback, Leliana hitting her mark and causing the closest darkspawn to topple over and die on the spot, the arrow still stuck firmly between his eyes. Jumping off her horse, the warden never even saw the second projectile fly through the air and whiz past her, piercing the arm of another one of the creatures, it‘s grotesque form letting out an earpiercing howl as it dropped the sword it had carried.

The warden was in her element, one blade in either hand she charged into the fray, years of near constant battle against the creatures having forever left their mark in her mind. She went through the familiar movements like water, dodging blows before anyone could have predicted them, parrying attacks easily and cutting through rotten flesh and exposed bones like a knife through butter.

There had been ten of them, maybe twelve, in the mess of limbs and bones below them it was hard to count the exact amount of bodies. The hammering inside her mind began to quiet down, letting in all the other things and sensations it had tried to supressed before. Some Warden-Commander was she, losing herself in the mere presence of but a few stray darkspawn. Sarah‘s sword cut through the ripped fabric that shielded the wagons interior and her breath hitched.

The warden ripped the fabric open, doing her best to shake off the shock and trying to get a grip of herself. The sunlight that now flooded freely inside the darkness revealed...a child. Carefully reaching inside she flinched as she felt the all too familiar sensation of blood against her bare hands. Lifting the girl out of the wagon, too young to have received her vallaslin even if she had been Dalish, the only peculiarity about her being her ears that were too pointed to be human. What did she do out here in the middle of nowhere?

„No survivors, I looked around the place and-“ Leliana‘s words died in her throat once the warden and the child in her arms came into view, „Is she alive?“ the Nightingaled rushed to the warden‘s side, gently grabbing the little elf‘s arm to try and feel a pulse. Her expression visibly darkened as she shook her head, „She‘s alive. But just barely. I-I don‘t think she‘ll make it to the next settlement were we could treat her wounds.“

„She will if I have something to say about it.“ the whispered, passing the unconscious child into Leliana‘s arms and reaching inside the pockets of her coat. „Her blood, it‘s not tainted, I would have felt it.“ she stated as she pulled out a small pouch, „Whoever, or whatever did this to her, it weren‘t darkspawn.“ her eyes closed in a silent preyer to any god that would listen, loosening the binding she emptied the bag‘s contents into her open palm. Closing her hand in a fist, she reached over towards the elf‘s body and let the ashes drop down on her form, trying to spread them out as much as she could, covering most of the cuts inside her skin.

„Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.“ the Nightingale prayed, keeping the child steady as she ashes sunk into her skin, „Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow.“

She couldn‘t keep her hands from shaking, the warden let the empty pouch drop the floor, her attention solely on the deep wounds that clustered the childs body. The blight had taken too much already, what did it matter that they had defeated the Archdemon when they just kept on coming, kept on killing. It had to work, it had worked ten years ago on the Arl of Redcliffe, it had saved Alistair‘s and Leliana‘s lives before, it had to work now. „Come on!“ Sarah bellowed, she could feel tears forming at the edges of her eyes, „Come on.“ she cried, letting the tears stream down the sides of her face. Their clothes were bloodsoaked, the red liquid dropping of off their hands and splattering towards the dirt and grass beneath them mixed together with hot tears.

The warden closed her eyes, she could feel the blood sticking to her skin as she tried to wipe away the tears. Another death, another pointless victim of a war that had never been theirs to fight. She wanted to turn around, turn around and scream at the world, scream at the silent maker and the creators that had abandoned them wherever they were. But she didn‘t.

Instead she listened.

A low hum engulfed the air around them, so quiet at first she wondered how she could have heard it at all. It grew louder and louder, a song deafening and silent at once filled her mind and pushed everything else away. It made her feet stick to the ground and forced her eyes open.

A radiant glow enveloped the form still held tightly Leliana‘s arms, the bard never letting go and her eyes wide in awe. Light so bright it should have blinded them, emitting enough warmth to start a wildfire right were they stood. It was breathtakingly beautiful and all the warden could do was stare at the miracle that was unfolding itself before her.

Sarah was unsure how long they had stood there, on a bloodied clearing surrounded by the bodies of a dozen fallen darkspawn. Perhaps hours, maybe minutes, it could have been only seconds and she wouldn‘t have been able to tell. The sound around them quieted down fast enough it made her wonder if it had been there in the first place. The glow followed soon after, leaving the impossible in it‘s wake.

The bloodied cuts and deep wounds had vanished, leaving the girl‘s ripped clothing as the only indication that she had been attacked in the first place. For a moment neither of them dared to move, afraid any sudden motion might burst the bubble and throw them back into reality.

Leliana was the first to move, softly brushing a few strands off hair out of the girl‘s face and feeling the beating of her heart. „It-It‘s stronger than before,“ she affirmed breathlessly after another moment that felt like a eternity to the warden, „She‘s alive.“

They rode through the rest of the day and most of the night, pushing their horses and finally arriving in a small village late in into the darkness of the night. The warden had gathered the bodies of the darkspawn and their victims to burn them before they left, she would need to get word to the other wardens of darkspawn activity on the surface as soon as they got to Skyhold. How many attacks had there been since the blight? How many were never reported because there had been no survivors? This had to end, the wardens would need to increase their presence across Ferelden and Orlais if they were to contain the threat inside the deep roads for good.

They came to a halt before an inn, the lone torch outside illuminating a makeshift stable next to it where they could at least let the horses rest for the night. The girl was still unconscious, her wounds may be gone but both of them worried for the elf and decided to rent a room for the night, sleeping in a real bed instead of Leliana‘s arms wouldn‘t do her any harm and they would be faster once their mares had replenished their energy.

The inkeeper rushed from table to table and ushered the last of the patrons out of the tavern, giving them a tired smile and directing the travelers towards one of the empty rooms upstairs. The sparsely furnished room consisted of a small desk, a closet that had seen better days and two beds.

Wrapping the girl into the soft blankets Leliana turned her attention to her companion, „What will we do when she wakes?“ she asked the warden currently shedding out of her jacket, „There wasn‘t a single elf among the bodies, you know as much as I do that she was likely a-“

„Yes.“ Sarah interrupted her, „I know.“ she added a moment later, her voice quieting down. „I think we should take her back to Skyhold, I want Anders to have a look at her, see if the ashes healed everything.“

„The ashes, they weren‘t yours...so who did they belong to?“ the bard asked, checking the temperature on the girls temple and making her way towards her partner.

„They were Zevran‘s pinch, I was hoping I‘d never have to use them.“ the warden replied, „He gave them to me the day he left Denerim after Alistair‘s coronation, said something about how I would find a better use for them than he ever could. The stubborn bastard wouldn‘t take no for an answer.“ she chuckled, reaching out and hugging Leliana, burrowing her head in the crook of her neck. „How are you holding up?“

„Honestly? I don‘t know.“ the redhead replied, „We‘re still a days ride out from Skyhold, I haven‘t slept in two days and only hours ago a little girl almost died in my arms, I-“ The shuffling of sheets behind them caused the words to never leave her throat. Turning around she cought the girl staring at them, sitting upright in the small bed she didn‘t take their eyes off them or move in any way. After a moment of internal debate whether or not to approach the girl, Sarah slowly made her way towards her bedside, very careful not to make any sudden movements.

„Hey.“ she tried, „I‘m Sarah,“ she pointed towards her chest, „And this is my wife Leliana.“ her hand wandered towards the bard and froze suddenly once she realized what she had said.

Leliana, not missing a beat, approached the little elf and offered her a warm smile, „We found you injured on our way here and brought you with us until you‘re feeling better, do you have a name?“ Her question was met with silence, the girl looked at them with an expression the bard would place somewhere between confusion and fear.

Coming to terms with the fact that she wouldn‘t get a name out of her, the Nightingale tried something else, „You should try and get some rest, would you like me to tell you a story while you try to sleep?“ While the girl still didn‘t speak, she nodded after a few moments and pulled the blankets closer to herself.

Sitting down at the edge of the mattress, the bard began to spin the tale of a group of rag tag adventurers that had set it upon themselves to bring peace to a clan of Dalish elves and a pack of werewolves that had made their home in the same forest. Leaving out any of the more graphic bits, the tale was still long enough that by the time the friends had made their way to the mysterious figure known as the ‚Lady of the Forest‘, the girl was fast asleep.

Climbing into their own bed the spymaster had to fight her body to not instantly fall asleep, „About earlier...“

Turning around to face the bard, the warden wore a sheepish smile, „I did that in the wrong order, didn‘t I?“ Sarah asked while shoving back the sheets and gingerly stepping towards the jacket she had thrown over the chair. Fidgeting with something in one of it‘s pockets she turned around before falling onto one knee she presented a silver ring with a beautifully engraved nightingale on it‘s head, „Leliana of Ferelden, will you marry me?“

 The spymaster had to keep her voice down, otherwise she feared she might have squealed and woke the girl, „Of course I will, now get over here you big idiot.“ she laughed covering her mouth with one hand, everything else forgotten and her betrothed in her arms a moment later.

„You know, I had this whole thing planned out.“ the warden groaned, „We would be on our way back to Skyhold, sitting around the campfire below the stars. It would all be terribly romantic and like a scene in one of these dreadful orlesian plays Josie loves so much and-“

The soft pressure of Leliana‘s lips on her own shut her up, „It was perfect .“ she assured her, „But we should really get some sleep.“

„I love you.“

„I love you too.“

**Author's Note:**

> So, I had this idea whizzing about in my head for a few days now and had to implement it into my canon somehow. These chapters will serve as a sort of prologue for something else I've got planned for those two.


End file.
